Verbena plant named ‘Balazgagic’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Balazgagic’ characterized by its purple-colored flowers, cleft, dark green-colored foliage, basal branching character, and spreading and trailing growth habit.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Verbena×hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Balazgagic’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Verbena plant botanically known as Verbena×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Balazgagic’.

The new cultivar was developed by the inventor through a controlled breeding program during September 2001 at Arroyo Grande, Calif. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Verbena cultivars with attractive flower coloration, continuous flowering and semi-trailing growth habit.

The female (seed) parent of ‘Balazgagic’ was the proprietary Verbena×hybrida cultivar designated ‘1036-2’ (not patented), which exhibits a prostrate, trailing habit, white-colored flowers and dark green foliage. The male (pollen) parent of ‘Balazgagic’ was the commercially available Verbena cultivar ‘Splash Violet’ (not patented), which exhibits an upright habit, white-colored flowers with purple spots and medium green foliage. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by the inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the above stated cross-pollination during July 2002 at Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar, by terminal stem cuttings since 2002 at West Chicago, Ill. has demonstrated that the new Verbena reproduces true to type, with all the characteristics as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length without, however, any change in genotype.

It was repeatedly found that the cultivar of the present invention:

-   -   1. Exhibits purple-colored flowers.     -   2. Forms cleft, dark green-colored foliage,     -   3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and     -   4. Exhibits a mounded and trailing growth habit.

Plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in flower color and from plants of the male parent primarily in growth habit.

The new cultivar of the present invention can be compared to the cultivar Superbena™ Dark Blue (not patented). However, in side-by-side comparisons conducted in West Chicago, Ill., plants of the new cultivar differed from plants of Superbena™ Dark Blue primarily in flower color. Plants of the new cultivar have flowers of a lighter purple-color than plants of Superbena™ Dark Blue.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical flower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describe the colors of ‘Balazgagic’. The plants were grown in a greenhouse for 10 weeks in West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth and flowering habit of ‘Balazgagic’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of a single inflorescence of ‘Balazgagic’.

FIG. 3 illustrates a close-up view of an individual flower and leaf of ‘Balazgagic’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 1995 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined on Jul. 21, 2003. The readings were taken between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. under natural daylight conditions. The plants used for the following descriptions and measurements were produced from cuttings taken from stock plants and were grown in a double polycarbonate-covered greenhouse under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 10 cm pots for 10 weeks while utilizing a soilless growth medium. Greenhouse temperatures were maintained at approximately 70°-80° F. during the day and approximately 62°-65° F. during the night. Greenhouse light levels were maintained at 5,000-8,000 footcandles during the day.

-   Classification:     -   -   Botanical.—Verbena×hybrida cultivar ‘Balazgagic’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Verbena×hybrida selection             designated ‘1036-2’ (not patented).         -   Male parent.—Commercially available Verbena cultivar Splash             Violet (not patented). -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal tip.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Approximately 14-21 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance and growth habit.—Spreading and trailing.             Moderately vigorous with good basal branching. Pinching             improves basal branching. A mature plant, 10 weeks after the             planting of a rooted cutting, commonly measures             approximately 14.4 cm from soil level to top of plant plane             and approximately 38 cm in diameter (area of spread).         -   Branch description.—Shape: Tetragonal. Diameter:             Approximately 2.2 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color:             Slightly darker than 144A. Internode length at middle of             branch: Approximately 2.9 cm.         -   Foliage.—Type: Simple. Arrangement: Opposite. Shape: Ovate.             Margin: Cleft. Apex: Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate.             Texture: Densely covered with short stiff hairs on upper and             lower surfaces, especially along veins on lower surface.             Venation pattern: Pinnate. Leaf length: Approximately 4 cm.             Leaf width: Approximately 2.6 cm at widest point. Color of             upper surface of mature leaf: Slightly darker than 137A with             venation of 144C. Color of lower surface of mature foliage:             147B with venation of 144C. Petiole: Length: Approximately             1 cm. Diameter: Approximately 2 mm. Texture: Upper and lower             surface: Moderately pubescent with short stiff hairs. Color             of upper and lower surface: 144C. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering under outdoor growing             conditions with substantially continuous blooming from             spring through fall. Year round in greenhouse environment.         -   Time to first flower.—Approximately 5-7 weeks from planting             of rooted cutting.         -   Lastingness of bloom.—Approximately 3-4 days. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Type.—Hemispherical corymb positioned above and beyond             foliage. Quantity: Approximately 7 per plant open at any one             time. Height: Approximately 3.4 cm. Width: Approximately             6 cm. Quantity of flowers: Approximately 13 fully opened             flowers per inflorescence at any one time.         -   Penduncle.—Length: Approximately 4.1 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 1.1 mm. Texture: Densely pubescent with short             stiff hairs. Color: Slightly darker than 144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Type.—Single, salverform, not fragrant, persistent.         -   Bud.—Shape: Spherical. Length: 2.5 mm. Diameter:             Approximately 2 mm. Color just before opening: N82A.         -   Flower diameter.—Approximately 2.2 cm. Corolla tube length:             Approximately 2.1 cm. Tube diameter at opening: 1.8 mm. Tube             diameter at base: 1.2 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity: Five per flower, fused at base, somewhat             overlapping. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Margin:             Entire. Texture of upper and lower surface: Glabrous. Color             of upper surface: When opening N81A. When fully opened N82A.             Fading to N89C. Color of lower surface when fully opened:             N82D. Whiskers of N82B surround the opening of the corolla             tube.         -   Corolla tube.—Outside surface: Texture: Pubescent. Color:             149D. Inner Surface: Texture: Pubescent around anthers.             Color: 149D.         -   Calyx.—Quantity of sepals: 5, fused into a tube. Tube             description: 5 toothed, 5 ribbed, with stipules. Tube             length: Approximately 1.2 cm. Tube diameter at base:             Approximately 1 mm. Diameter at apex: Approximately 2 mm.             Texture: Densely glandular. Color: 93A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity: 4 per flower.             Position of stamens: Two above anthers, two even with             anthers. Anther shape: Ovoid. Anther length: 1.5 mm. Anther             color: 151C. Pollen amount: Sparse. Pollen color: 8C.             Pistil: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: 2.1 cm.             Stigma shape: Bi-lobed, funnel shaped. Stigma length: 3 mm.             Stigma color: N144C. Style length: 1.6 cm. Style color:             145B. Ovary diameter: 1.5 mm. Ovary color: N144C. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogen and pests common     to Verbena has not been observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant named ‘Balazgagic’ substantially, as herein shown and described, which:
 1. Exhibits purple-colored flowers,
 2. Forms cleft, dark green-colored foliage,
 3. Exhibits a good basal branching character, and
 4. Exhibits a spreading and trailing growth habit. 